


Morragan's Boon

by The_Nebula



Category: Bitterbynde Trilogy
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Gen, Male Friendship, Ye Olde English
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 15:44:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1352914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Nebula/pseuds/The_Nebula
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A small, beautifully made gift turns into a friendly competiton between two lords of the Fair realm. When they start making bets, what will be the outcome?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an expansion of a scene from a book series by Cecilia Dart-Thornton: The Bitterbynde Trilogy.

"He gifted me with a beautiful Kings-and-Queens set made of gold and jewels, beautifully wrought by Liriel, jewel smith of Faêrie, and challenged me to find anywhere in the realm a fairer or cleverer assemblage of pieces for the board. We played the game and, as was our wont, we bet on the outcome." – Easgathair, the White Owl. Gatekeeper of the Fair Realm.

…..

Crown Prince, Fithiach, and Raven Lord Morragan wandered the rolling green fields of his homeland, in the realm of Faêrie. He was preoccupied with ideas on how to best present his new gift to the gatekeeper of the realm, Lord Easgathair. The lord was ever faithful to his duty, watching over the ways between the worlds, ensuring that mortals did not cross into forbidden land without his knowledge.

He had commissioned a handsome gift for the keeper, one of which he was certain had no rival in the realms of Aia. A glorious game set of Kings-and-Queens, wrought of gold and studded with gorgeous jewels from various parts of the realm. Morragan was sure that Easgathair would enjoy the piece, and was looking forward to playing a few friendly games with him this very day.

Upon a steep hillside was where he found him. Swooping down to a feather-light landing on the stone floor, Morragan entered the watchtower atop the hill. The Prince addressed the gatekeeper in jovial tones.

"Good morrow, Easgathair!" Morragan smiled as the white haired lord turned to face him. The gatekeeper brightened as he spied one of his liege-lords with him in the room.

"My lord," he replied joyfully. "Good morrow to thee, also! What brings thee out here on this fine day?"

"I have commissioned a gift for thee, my friend," the Raven said.

The Crown Prince of Faêrie held out his hands in front of him, palms facing the sky. Upon them appeared the magnificent set of gold, shining bright as the sun. The jewels that speckled the fine metal did not mar its perfection, but enhanced it, the gems sparking akin to stars.

Easgathair was pleasantly surprised by this gesture, and accepted the proffered gift, turning it this way and that, admiring the workmanship.

"'Tis a glorious set," he responded at last, meeting his lord's eyes.

"Aye, it is. Liriel's skills art yet unmatched in the realm," the prince replied. "Dost thou fancy a game?" He smiled widely as the gatekeeper agreed. "Well then, let us begin!"

The two lords of graymare began to set up the pieces in the respectable positions.

"Thou art always here, loyal to thy post, Easgathair. Dost thou ever tire of it?"

"Why dost thou ask, sir?" The final pawn found its place amongst its kin on the board.

"As I have been telling thee before, thou needs to have time away from this tower. Thee shouldst want some time to thyself, to do other things…"

Morragan's white haired companion looked thoughtful for a moment as he moved a pawn forward.

"I guess it could be a slight hindrance to me, not free to roam the realms as I please. But, why bring up this matter, my lord? I am perfectly content with upholding my duty, as I always have."

Morragan shifted a knight and smiled. "Let us make this game more interesting, then."

Easgathair moved a rook. "How so?"

The smile grew broader.

"If thou shouldst win the contest," said Morragan, "I shall take thy place in the watchtower for a space of a year and a day, while thou sojourn'st as thou wishest."

"But sir, what stake may I offer thee? Thou dost already possess all thou couldst desire."

Wilt thou grant me a boon?" The prince enquired.

Provided it is within my scope." Another pawn shuffled forward.

Easgathair and Morragan eventually settled the terms, temporarily pausing their game to do so. Both agreed to leave the boon unasked, to be used at a later date – if the gatekeeper had the power to grant it.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been over a year since the day that round of Kings-and-Queens was played in the watchtower. Prince Morragan had lost to the white haired Easgathair, penalized to take his place as the watcher of the gates for the time of a year and a day. On the Prince's watch, nothing had gone amiss; all was still in harmony when Lord Easgathair returned to the place of his post for many years.

The pair greeted each other warmly, as per their custom, once again seated in the watchtower, a different game board placed in front of them. The gatekeeper had presented it to his liege-lord as a gift, ingeniously engineered and slightly taller than the last. It was the height of the seelie known as Siofra, the rarely seen wights of the forest known for their tricks against humankind. The set appeared almost ordinary to the mortal eye, but these pieces were far from that, as this set in particular had pieces that could move unaided by human hands. A golden wand lay at the board's side, an accompaniment to the set, its purpose yet undefined. Both Faêran Lords were studying the set.

"Skillfully is this wrought, I'll allow, my friend," said the prince at last. "And 'tis larger than the golden set I bestowed upon thee, yet 'tis no prettier or more artful." He frowned at the thought.

Easgathair motioned over to the wand before picking it up. He waved it at the closest castle and bade it move forward three spaces. Morragan was impressed, to say the least.

"An interesting addition thou hast added to this," he commented to the gatekeeper, smiling as he also tested the wand on one of the white horses on the far side of the board.

"I am glad thee likes it so," Easgathair replied, and the stakes were then reset:

"The loser shall pay what the winner shall desire."

A long battle of wills ensued for the next few days, until all but a handful of the pawns remained. A castle was lost, two bishops, and even a queen. This time the Raven Prince came out victorious. It was after a skillful execution of a few daring moves that Easgathair's king was trapped: checkmate.

"One victory to each of us! This time I have defeated thee, Easgathair," he laughed. "But I must beg for time to consider before I ask for what I desire."

"Sir, thou mightst enjoy as much time as thou wishest," the gatekeeper replied boastfully. "And whilst thou art at it, thou mayst take time to also search high and low for a cleverer or more beautiful set than this, which I'll warrant thou shalt never find in the realm."

At that the brother of the High King smiled and agreed, but added: "Yet, I will bring thee a more marvelous collection and there will be a third trial. This shall decide the champion."

The Raven Prince then took flight once more, and left Easgathair watch over his post once again as gatekeeper until he returned.


	3. Chapter 3

More time had passed since the last game of chess had been played between the two lords of Faêrie. A younger Ashalind had negotiated for Hyde Melyn's children to return to Avlantia, and she had led them back home from the realm. After this occurred, the pair met up again a final time.

Morragan led Easgathair to a glade, where a platform was raised. It was inlaid with squares of ivory and ebony and upon it stood sixteen dwarrows in mail, armed, twelve lords and ladies of Erith, including four mounted knights, also a quartet of stone trolls all enchanted, all alive. At the player's spoken command, they obeyed.

"Be it the same stakes as before, my lord?" Easgathair asked, admiring the life sized set before him.

"Even so, Easgathair," he replied. "Even so."

This third and final game took roughly the same amount of time as the ones before it, although once again the crown prince was the victor.

"I shall have my boon now, Easgathair," The Raven told him.

"And what is thy boon, sir?"

"Upon thy word, Easgathair Whit Owl, thou shalt grant me this deed," Morragan met the keeper's gaze evenly. Then he outlined his demands.

The prince commanded him to lock the gates offering passage between the mortal and Faêran realms, barring entry to any including seelie and unseelie wights, the Fair Folk and mortal creatures such as humans and animals. Morragan no longer wanted the ways to be sullied by humankind, instead to be granted only to the Faêran.

"At the instant when the gates finally close, those who bide within the realm shall remain within, and those who bide without shall remain without. After the locking, all the keys shall be placed in the green casket, whose lid shall be sealed by my password."

"My lord!" Easgathair cried, shocked by the request. He knew that he couldn't go against it, as he had lost, but to bar the ways? It was unheard of! "May I ask for time before I grant thee thy boon? A year and a day?"

Morragan stood. "Thou mightst enjoy grace of a year and a day," he agreed, face grave. "But do not conjecture that the passage of time shall change my heart. Never shall I retract this demand."

The Raven Prince waited enough for Easgathair to nod in understanding before he turned and left him there, taking to the sky. Easgathair could only watch helplessly as the prince faded from sight. What had he done?


End file.
